Challenges of Being in a “Sandwich Generation”  

Editor

We often hear “sandwich generation” here in Singapore but we do not understand it. It is important that we are familiar with this term so we can understand it and learn how to deal with it. When we hear “sandwich generation”, it means getting caught up between our kids and aging parents.

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People age 40 often endure and persevere “sandwich generation”. Being caught up in this generation is challenging. Here are some challenges that we should understand and cope up:

  • Supporting children: When we are 40, we are busy supporting our children especially if they are teens. Supporting children is not easy because they tend to be more complex. We need to allot time so we can guide them.
  • Providing regular care for the elders: We are so busy that we do not notice our elders getting older. We only notice them when they are sick and in need of our care.

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  • We are at the height of our career: We need to hang unto our jobs and careers which prove difficult especially if we have teens and an elder around.

When we are in a “sandwich generation”, every day seems to be a tug-of-war. Things may be difficult but we should make sure that it will not exhaust us. It is natural to be tired but we should never think about giving up. Remember that when we do things for the one we love, the effort seem to be nothing.

If we cannot handle things on our own, it is time that we seek for the help of other people. We should not be embarrassed to ask for one when we need one.

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First Date Questions You Should Never Ask a Guy

Editor

In a perfect world, first date would be so easy. Unfortunately, we are not living in a perfect world and first dates are like a bastion of distress for most of us. So lessen the awkward and stress factor in your first dating experience by avoiding asking these questions at all cost.

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  1. “Do you believe in God?”

It’s never a good idea to bring up topics about religion on a first date, unless your religious beliefs would likely affect who you’d choose to go out with. Asking this question on your first date can go wrong in a lot of different ways. He might feel judged if you happen to have different religious beliefs, or he might link your question to the kind of person you are. Instead of talking about religion, find out your common grounds on lighter topics like favourite foods or personal interests.

  1. “What was your ex-girlfriend like?”

Surely, you wouldn’t want him to think about his previous love. So regardless of how curious you are, avoid discussing his past relationships and don’t turn your date into an interrogation. Also, avoid uncovering his faults and just enjoy discovering the kind of fun and connection you’re having with the person.

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  1. “How many kids do you want?”

Regardless of how important having a family is to you, never ever assume that every guy would want to get married and have kids. Mentioning anything that you want in your future will only scare him off. Instead, get a clear idea about your compatibility first, then think of forming some kind of commitment with him before you start discussing such topics.

  1. “What’s your annual salary?”

While it’s alright to ask him about what he does for a living, directly asking him about his income is not. Asking this question during your first date will only make him think that you’re just interested in his money, and trust me, being materialistic isn’t attractive when you’re still a complete stranger to him. So drop off this question, and never bring up salary or money-related concerns in your date as it’ll only leave a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth.

Apart from being exciting, first dates are usually stressful. So lessen the stress between you and your date by steering clear from these questions – and you might even end up landing a good relationship.

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5 Fun Workout Ideas for Your Kids

Editor

Kids actually love to exercise. But thanks to the presence of computers and video games, today’s kids live a more sedentary lifestyle. This is the very reason why it’s more important than ever to get them moving whenever possible. From trampoline tricks to fun games, here are five fun workout ideas that’ll surely pull your young ones off the chair and get them moving.

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  1. Swimming. Most kids love playing in the water, so capitalize on their enjoyment by giving them a regular opportunity to exercise while swimming. Visit a nearby swimming pool once a week and have them take on physical challenges on water like shark in the water or scavenger hunt. With this, your kid will be able to enjoy the pool while performing a fun and impact-free workout.

 

  1. Team Sport. Not only will this allow your kids to be active, doing team sports will also help your child in developing their skills in the sport of their choice. It will also aid in improving their coordination, cardiovascular fitness and spatial awareness. Aside from that, your child will learn to overcome his or her shyness, while developing his own sense of resilience and self-concept.

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  1. Mountain Biking. Cycling is known to be an excellent cardiovascular exercise that can provide a great overall workout as well. Aside from that, mountain biking also provides a good opportunity to get the entire family off the couch. Once you’re done cycling, you can go explore the mountain trails and stop off for an afternoon picnic. With this workout, you’ll be able to burn calories while spending some quality time with your loved ones.

 

  1. Kid-Friendly Circuit. By keeping your routine short, mixing and throwing up adult-type movements, you’ll be able to provide your kids with some great cardio-resistant combo workout. Just select eight exercise moves that they can perform for a minute each without any rest, then have them complete two to three circuits of the movements.

 

  1. Gamefication. Take advantage of your child’s obsession with video games by slipping in some exercise-related gaming applications. One of the best apps to try is Fitocracy, as it allows your child to progress through different levels as they work their way through physical challenge adventures.

Motivating your child to exercise isn’t really that difficult. You just need to be creative in coming up with their workout routines, and encourage them to have a balanced computer and exercising time.

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5 Amazing Concealer Hacks

Editor

When it comes to your can’t-live-without-it beauty products, concealer definitely owns the top spot. Who doesn’t want to look totally flawless, right? However, there’s actually so much more to your trusty concealer than simply hiding dark spots and under eye circles. Take your concealer tricks to a whole new level now by trying out these easy and simple concealer hacks.

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  1. Use it as a Foundation Alternative. We don’t mean slapping concealer on your entire face, because that would look heavy, unnatural, and just nasty. What we mean is mixing a little blob of liquid concealer with a primer to create a rather lightweight foundation. This trick provides you enough coverage for a flawless, natural-looking skin sans the cakey effect of foundation.
  1. Get Fuller-Looking Lips. If there’s one easy way to achieve that Kylie Jenner-ish puckers, that would be with the use of your concealer. After putting on your lipstick, pat a tad bit of liquid concealer on the centre of your upper and lower lip and blend it gently with your index finger. This diffuses the color of the concealer, creating a gradient effect in the middle of your lips and making your puckers look bigger and fuller.
  1. Solve Your Eyeshadow Woes. Run out of eyeshadow primer? Cover those veins on your lids and make your eyeshadow stay in place for hours by using your concealer. Not only will this provide a smooth surface for your eyeshadow to glide on, it’ll also give you a more intense color pay off.

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  1. Get the Perfect Cat-Eye. Any girl who loves that cat-eye look understands the struggle of getting their winged-liner on fleek. The good thing is, those days will soon be over—thanks to our trusty concealer. With a cream concealer and a concealer brush, draw a diagonal line on the outer corners of your eyes up and towards the end of your brows to carve out the mess of the winged-liner. This also ensures that the lines are even on both eyes.
  1. Amp Your Cream Blush. Although a sheer finish is part of the appeal of most cream blushes, we just can’t help feeling that they’re just a little too subtle. Luckily, there’s still something you can do to make your cream blush last longer and look more intense on your cheeks; and that is by mixing a little bit of your concealer into the product.

Without a doubt, concealer is definitely one of the crowd favourites when it comes to disguising dark spots and horrible looking under eye circes. However, with these hacks, you’ll surely have more reasons now to love stock up on this must-have makeup product.

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5 Ways to Decorate Your Home Even on Budget

Editor

Having a high-end looking home can be quite difficult to achieve, especially if you’re decorating on budget. Luckily, there are some simple and thrifty ways that you can do to achieve the high-end home look you’ve been dreaming of. Get your pen and paper now, and list down these simple home decorating tricks that’ll surely leave your guest thinking that you live a rather high-end life.

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  1. Get Into Details. When it comes to decorating your home to make it look custom-made and high-end, always remember that details are the key. You can work on crown moulding to make a particular area in your home look complete, while giving it an elegant appearance. There’s no need to worry about your budget too, as crown mouldings are relatively inexpensive with a lot of widths to choose from. You can add several types of moulding into your home, such as high baseboards, columns, ceiling beams and chair rails, to give your space the ultimate glamour that it needs.
  1. Play With Colours. It may sound easy, but choosing a paint colour is perhaps one of the hardest decisions to make when decorating a room. But if elegance is what you’re after, then there are a number of colours that can add an instant glamour to your space. You can choose between soft, understated hues, or the bold and dramatic colours. Painting your interior doors black is another great way to add a hint of elegance to your home. Just be sure to add some black accessories to tie your overall design.
  1. Use Unique Hardware Finishes. Another way to make your home look elegant is to use unique hardware finishes, such as drawer knobs and pulls. The best places to look for these pieces are in antique shops, flea markets and small hardware stores. You’ll definitely find some expensive-looking and heavy-duty knobs in these places that’ll surely give your home the unique and elegant look that you want to achieve.

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  1. Work With Your Room Lighting. Although chandeliers are good, going with the designer light fixtures will surely add more elegance to your home. Luckily, there are several tricks that you can use to get the high-end look that you want sans the high-end price. You can start by looking into second-hand stores and flea markets, and doing some little paint job to make it look like a million-dollar piece.
  1. Opt for Hardwood Flooring. A wall-to-wall carpeting may give a soft and warm vibe to your home, but nothing beats the gleaming hardwood floors if achieving an elegant interior look is what you’re after. To get the most out of your budget, opt for the inexpensive types of hardwood like oak and birch. Also, choose hardwoods set in dark colour to give your floorings a more luxurious appearance.

Decorating your home to achieve an elegant look can be quite expensive, but by following these tips, you’ll surely be able to give your space some touch of elegance without breaking the bank.

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Places to Visit for Affordable Art

Editor

Owning an original piece of artwork doesn’t have to expensive. It can be very affordable if you just know where to look. So many people in Singapore, even those who are not so artistically inclined, wish to own at least one original oil painting, but believes they cannot because they assume it’s just far out of their price range.

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However, what these people don’t know is that they can already purchase a one-of-a-kind oil painting by locals for just a fraction of the cost of artworks by world-famous artists. By this, you don’t only acquire an equally beautiful abstract art piece, but support your community as well.

If you don’t know where to start searching, here are some suggestions to start with.

1. Online Shops

Though online like www.vinciarts.com in Singapore may not be the most suitable place to look for original artworks, it can be a good source of information for paintings exhibited in different galleries and museums. Try searching the name of the art gallery you wish to visit and find out whose works are presented as of the moment.

2. Local Art Galleries

Most state, cities, and areas have several art galleries, so try checking out these places first before considering overseas options. If searching for landscape artworks, don’t just limit your options to paintings, but check out other options that incorporate works of crafters and artisans as well. Singapore galleries generally offer a wide selection of artworks and usually display works of several artists at a time.

3. College Art Departments

Colleges that offer art-related courses usually run an art gallery to exhibit works of their students. If they’re not hosting an exhibit as of the moment, they sure know the nearby locations with current displays, so try asking them. Many art teachers are local artists themselves, so colleges can be an interesting spot to pursue.

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4. Frame Shops

Apart from the framing services they offer, some frame shops also offer arts for sale. Depending on the frame sizes they offer, they may only exhibit very limited number of oil painting pieces, or may only showcase the works of one artist at a time. Even if they’re not currently hosting an art exhibit, they can be a good source of information. Frame shops have worked with various local artists and, thus, can give you details about the best places to visit and artists to contact.

5. Art Guilds

Most areas have at least one art guild or co-op, where local artists come together to plan for art-related events like art fairs and festivals. Check out their own art gallery or ask for upcoming art openings. Try searching online or check yellow pages listing to find out what’s available in your locality.

Those mentioned are just a few ideas to consider when searching for contemporary art pieces, so be creative and don’t limit yourself to those places only. Libraries, art and craft festivals, and art boutiques are all excellent avenues to check out. The more local establishments you visit, the better chances you have of discovering original, unique, and affordable works of art created by an artist who could possibly be your neighbor.

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More Complaints Over Beauty Product Ads

Editor

Advertising has standards here is set by a specific agency. It should be followed if the beauty industry wants to exist peacefully in the market. Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS) is in charge quality and not bogus advertising.

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ASAS is also the agency that receives complaints over products that customers deem bogus and misleading. According to ASA, there was an increased total feedback on the beauty industry in 2014. There were about 117 complaints received in 2014 which are way higher than 78 complaints received in 2013 and 40 in 2012.

What does this mean? Many consumers are seeing beauty products misleading and unsupported nowadays. With this, ASAS is urging the beauty companies and the industry in general to submit substantial and realistic advertisements. The people should know what they are buying and should measure their expectations based on the advertisements so they can make a successful purchase.

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The increasing number of complaints will have impact in wellness and beauty sectors. ASAS, with the help of other organizations (like Spa and Wellness Association Singapore, Singapore Manufacturing Federation and Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association), advertisements will be better and more realistic in the future.

For now, we have to improve our self-confidence and self-image so we do not depend on any beauty product to look good and feel good. These products are only skin deep. If we want a lasting image, let us invest in the goodness of our hearts. Sounds cliché but this is a more practical approach than purchasing thousands worth of beauty products that do not have lasting effects.

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